That is why it is crucial to not only hire bright, talented people to join your team but why it is also crucial to develop them in such a way that they feel challenged, inspired, and professionally satisfied.
Here are some tips for ensuring that you get the most out of your young hires—and that they get the most out of you:
Don't pigeonhole them.
At JMWA Architects, we want our young employees to gain experience in all aspects of architecture rather than being constrained to one particular area where they are repetitively doing the same work over and over again (such as designing bathroom details for commercial projects). By giving new employees the freedom to gain broad knowledge of the industry, you will help ensure that they remain stimulated and challenged. You will also be grooming them for future growth, when they will certainly need to have a wide range of knowledge.
Invest in outside training.
By showing your young talent that you are willing to invest in their futures by providing paid outside training, you are sending a message to them that they are important and integral parts of your team. At JMWA, for example, we feel it is important to have our employees learn to use 3D programs such as Revit, so we send them to outside classes on the program.
Foster a team environment.
It is very important to build teams so that young employees do not feel that they are out on their own without a support network to guide and mentor them. This is especially important as more and more Gen Yers head into the workplace, since it has been shown that this young generation prefers working with the camaraderie of a team rather than in solitude, as is the case with many older workers.
Keep an eye out for leaders.
Young employees want to know that if they work hard and are loyal, they will be recognized and rewarded for their efforts. This usually translates into a fast track to management, which shows the employee that he or she has a promising future with the company. At JMWA, we give our promising young candidates the opportunity to participate in a project management training program called Project Management Boot Camp, developed by PSMJ and held several times a year throughout the country. This program teaches them the business side of architecture, providing them with good knowledge of tracking time, developing budgets, reading accounting data, keeping track of a job's profitability, and more. This type of program gets young candidates excited about the management side of architecture and gives them the skills they will need as they climb the ranks of the firm.
Make it easy to learn.
Even employees who are not necessarily candidates for special programs such as Project Management Boot Camp deserve the opportunity to learn on a continual basis. At JMWA, we provide this opportunity to our employees in a program we call "Lunch and Learn," which is held every Thursday at noon in one of our conference rooms. Two Thursdays of the month are reserved for product salespeople to come and show us their products, and the other two Thursdays are dedicated to topics concerning internal professional development such as CAD standards and office procedures. And at just one hour, "Lunch and Learn" does not become an overwhelming time commitment or a boring weekly chore.
Be social.
Sometimes the best way to foster loyalty in an employee is by showing him or her that you appreciate him or her as a person as well as a professional. This doesn't mean you have to become involved in the intimate details of your employees' lives, but it is nice to mingle with them in a relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere every once in a while. At JMWA, we combine "business" with "pleasure" on the last Friday of every month with our social staff meetings. We make it a point to have a different theme each month, like wine and cheese or even beer and pizza. It gives everyone the chance to blow off a little steam from the pressures of the month and to interact on a more informal basis, which we feel also helps to foster closer professional relationships.
The key to a successful architectural firm is to take the talent that you have and give them the time and attention they deserve to develop them. By doing so, you will create a challenging and stimulating work environment that they will not want to leave while at the same time reducing your employee turnover and positioning your agency for growth. It is a true win-win situation.
About the Author
James R. Williams, AIA, is a principal of the 52-person architectural firm JMWA (formerly Quincy Johnson, Jones, Myott, Williams, Acevedo, Vaughn), based in Boca Raton, Florida. He has been practicing architecture for 30 years, first in Illinois, then in the Caribbean, and then in Florida. He has an extensive background in the commercial, hospitality, and residential fields. For information, email Jim at jwilliams@jmwa.net or visit www.jmwa.net.
